Storing and accessing segments of recorded programs

Abstract

An apparatus for recording multimedia content transmitted over a network including a reception interface for receiving the multimedia content from the network, a user input interface for receiving user inputs, and a storage resource including executable instructions including a recording module for recording the multimedia content in accordance with the user inputs. The user inputs also include a multimedia selection signal for indicating the multimedia content to be recorded, and a segmenting signal for indicating a size of at least one of a plurality of segments in which the multimedia content is recorded.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A multimedia recorder, comprising:
 a hardware processor; 
 a network adapter for receiving multimedia content delivered from a multimedia service provider via a multimedia network; 
 a user input interface for receiving user input; and 
 a storage resource comprising processor executable instructions wherein the instructions, when executed by the hardware processor, cause the hardware processor to perform operations comprising: 
 receiving a signal indicative of a request to record a program; 
 generating a plurality of suggested segment sizes using metadata of the program; 
 prompting a user to indicate a particular segment size by displaying a program segment menu including: a suggested segment size menu element indicating the plurality of suggested segment sizes and a user specified segment size menu element; 
 storing the program in a plurality of program segments of the particular segment size in the storage resource; 
 responsive to a request to playback the program, prompting the user to indicate particular program segments by displaying a segment selection menu including a single segment selection menu element, a multiple segment selection menu element, and an all segments selection menu element; 
 prompting the user to indicate an ordering of playing back of the particular program segments; and 
 playing back the particular program segments in accordance with the ordering of playing back. 
 
     
     
       2. The multimedia recorder of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of program segments records a successive transmission segment of the multimedia content. 
     
     
       3. The multimedia recorder of  claim 1 , wherein the multimedia network includes an Internet protocol television network. 
     
     
       4. The multimedia recorder of  claim 3 , wherein the multimedia network includes a coaxial cable-based network. 
     
     
       5. The multimedia recorder of  claim 1 , wherein the operations further include: accessing data indicative of a default segment size. 
     
     
       6. The multimedia recorder of  claim 5 , wherein the operations further include:
 listing programs stored in the storage resource; and 
 enabling the user to select a particular program from the listing. 
 
     
     
       7. The multimedia recorder of  claim 6 , wherein the operations further include:
 responsive to determining that the selected particular program has segments, displaying a separate menu of the segments of the selected particular program to the user. 
 
     
     
       8. The multimedia recorder of  claim 6 , wherein the operations further include:
 playing back a selected content segment and successive program segments responsive to determining one content segment was selected. 
 
     
     
       9. The multimedia recorder of  claim 8 , wherein the ordering of playing back specifies a sequence of the particular program segments in which a first particular program segment precedes a second particular program segment during the playing back of the particular program segments, wherein the second particular program segment precedes the first particular program segment chronologically. 
     
     
       10. The multimedia recorder of  claim 9 , wherein the ordering of playing back omits a third particular program segment and wherein the playing back of the particular program segments includes skipping over the third particular program segment. 
     
     
       11. A program recording method, comprising:
 receiving a signal indicative of a request to record a program; 
 generating a plurality of suggested segment sizes using metadata of the program; 
 prompting a user to indicate a particular segment size by displaying a program segment menu including: a suggested segment size menu element indicating the plurality of suggested segment sizes and a user specified segment size menu element; 
 storing the program in a plurality of program segments of the particular segment size in a storage resource; 
 responsive to a request to playback the program, prompting the user to indicate particular program segments by displaying a segment selection menu including a single segment selection menu element, a multiple segment selection menu element, and an all segments selection menu element; 
 prompting the user to indicate an ordering of playing back of the particular program segments; and 
 playing back the particular program segments in accordance with the ordering of playing back. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , wherein each of the plurality of program segments records a successive transmission segment of the program, the method further comprising:
 enabling the user to select a plurality of programs to record. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the particular segment size indicates a segment size applicable to the plurality of programs. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 11  further comprising, enabling the user to erase specific segments from storage. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 11 , wherein each segment is listed in a catalogue and the catalogue is saved in storage. 
     
     
       16. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
 generating a plurality of suggested segment sizes using metadata of a program; 
 prompting a user to indicate a particular segment size by displaying a program segment menu including: a suggested segment size menu element indicating the plurality of suggested segment sizes and a user specified segment size menu element; 
 storing the program in a plurality of program segments of the particular segment size in a storage resource; 
 responsive to a request to playback the program, prompting the user to indicate particular program segments by displaying a segment selection menu including a single segment selection menu element, a multiple segment selection menu element, and an all segments selection menu element; 
 prompting the user to indicate an ordering of playing back of the particular program segments; and 
 playing back the particular program segments in accordance with the ordering of playing back. 
 
     
     
       17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein the operations further include: responding to receiving a selection signal corresponding to a specific segment from the user by displaying the specific segment. 
     
     
       18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein the operations further include: automatically inserting a plurality of bookmarks at user selectable locations within a selected program. 
     
     
       19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 18 , wherein the plurality of bookmarks demarcate chapters.